ELAM candidate threatens AKEL official with lawsuit over broadcast comments

Evgenios Hamboullas, an ELAM parliamentary candidate in Limassol, has sent a legal notice to AKEL candidate Giorgos Loukaides demanding a public apology. The dispute originated during a May 15, 2026, appearance on the Alpha TV program 'Alpha Enimerosi'. During the broadcast, a conflict arose when Hamboullas referenced the Holodomor, the 1932-1933 famine in Soviet Ukraine. Loukaides allegedly criticized Hamboullas's pronunciation of the term and referred to him as a 'Nazi' and a 'fascist'. Hamboullas claims these comments constitute defamation under Article 17 of the Civil Wrongs Law, alleging an intent to damage his reputation ahead of the May 24, 2026, parliamentary elections. The legal letter demands that Loukaides either apologize and suggest a settlement or provide a detailed justification for his remarks and participate in mediation. Loukaides previously accused ELAM of ties to the Greek neo-Nazi organization Golden Dawn, a claim contributing to the heated exchange. No formal legal proceedings have commenced yet, as the current action remains a pre-litigation demand.